Ethics panel keeps eyes on Rep. Owens

The House Ethics Committee will keep an eye on Rep. Bill Owens but has stopped short of launching a formal investigation into whether the backbench Democrat took an improperly funded trip to Taiwan.

In August, the Office of Congressional Ethics, an independent outside panel that refers cases to the Ethics Committee, found substantial reason to believe the New York congressman may have broken House rules and federal law by accepting travel payments from the government of Taiwan.

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Facing a deadline to drop the case altogether, create an investigative subcommittee or extend its review of the matter without launching a formal probe, the Ethics Committee chose on Wednesday to take the latter tack.

In May 2010, POLITICO and ProPublica jointly reported that Owens and his wife flew first-class to Taiwan and stayed at $500-a-night hotels on a $22,132 trip organized by lobbyists for Taiwan.

Owens said shortly thereafter that he would repay the money to the Chinese Culture University, which was the official sponsor of the trip.

But a report released Wednesday in conjunction with the Ethics Committee’s decision to extend its own review notes that “information obtained by the OCE during the course of its review indicates that the government of Taiwan, in addition to organizing and conducting Representative Owens’ trip, initially paid Representative Owens’ travel expenses.”

That finding was based on separate sources who reported that the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs paid for the Owens’ airline tickets and hotel room at the Regent Taipei Hotel, according to the 152-page OCE report. OCE further found that communications with Taiwanese officials should have indicated to Owens and his staff that payments were being made by Taiwan.

The Chinese Culture University reimbursed the government of Taiwan for the Owens’ expenses, according to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, or TECRO, which is Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the United States. Park Strategies, a lobbying firm run by former Sen. Al D’Amato (R-N.Y.) represents TECRO, which can’t directly lobby Congress because it is part of the Taiwanese government. Park Strategies Senior Vice President Sean King helped organize the trip, according to filings made under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

D’Amato and other officials at Park Strategies did not cooperate with OCE review.